Campfire Tales, various thoughts · 9:31pm Aug 26th, 2017

It wasn't that I disliked the past few episodes, I just didn't have as much to say about 'em.
So now, an episode of reminiscence and legends and camping horrors, oh my! Let's what this one brings, shall we?

   —Scootaloo would be the girls' scout of the trio, though I wonder if the other two have been undergoing the same training as she had? Well, training and training, she knows her stuff at least.
http://imgur.com/a/gFdlZ
   —^ This, I hate so much. I feel you, Sweetie. Anyway, another new paranatural addition to the fauna of Equestria, it seems. They are native to to the Luna Bay area, which is north-west of Vanhoover and the equivalent of the Gulf of Alaska.
I wonder if Vanhoover ever tends to have to deal with these pests.
   —Speaking of Sweetie Belle, I see she's been taking some barrier and shield lessons? That is special. But it makes sense that she'd be given this sort of tutoring, given the adventures she tags along for.
   —I wonder if the legend of Rockhoof has root somewhere in Equestria, and if it denotes a real place. Y'know, now that the Map has been confirmed to be able to call on the aid of anyone who is relevant, I am really hopeful for a future assignment from the Map for the CMC.
   —I guess Rarity's talent for discovering the beauty in things, or, more concretely, precious material hidden away extends to gold as well. Now it seems almost like she senses the presence of gold and jewelry. it wouldn't surprise me, but it's fun to speculate what this ability allows. Maybe it can even be precognitive? (Also, suggesting continuity for her relationship with Maud. I now rather want an episode featuring Maud, Rarity and Starlight together.)

   —I see a Chinese aesthetic there! I would assume it's more Chinese than Japanese. I'm imagining a geisha or otherwise oriental Rarity now. These ponies seem almost like kirin. There is something special about them. Well, particularly the curved horn. Anyway, I am super invested in this legend. (More on this pony kind, I will assume that their magic seems to affect their lifespan. Or at least the spells that Sable and Mistmane used do. Either way, it gives me the impression these are something like kirin. (I wonder if Sable might have been influenced by some sort of youkai?)
   —Yup, dark magic. And Sable said she took her position as empress. This begs the question of what she did to the previous empress. I guess much of this world has always been rather much of a matriarchy, so it probably was another mare who held that office at the time. I wonder, though! You have some stories of stallions, and some stories of mares. And clearly, it was never an issue to have mares be warriors. At the same time, it didn't seem like stallions were particularly discriminated against in those stories. Hm. It's interesting to consider the implications, or lacks thereof regarding Equestrian history. Do we have some sort of timeline of its lore, prior to Luna's return?
   —In the Legends of Magic comic, which elaborates a bit on these tales, the volcano erupts a second time due to a creature of magma, a cherufe haphazardly throwing rocks in an attempt to rescue her child who was trapped below. With all the mythical creatures we've seen... well, I wonder if we might be seeing something like these characters? As well as some reasoning as to why Rockhoof transformed into a strong stallion suddenly from his act of heroism. I figure some sort of divine favour, which means; gods, other than the princesses?
   —Apparently people are theorising that Flash Sentry is a descendant of Flash Magnus. If that is the case it creates a potential for an in interesting family tree. More lore, darn it! I'd like to read about how Magnus' line contributed to the history of Equestria and the various pony nations of uncertain geography.
   —In most of these flashbacks to times of old, it seems like clothes were very much an important things for civilians. I wonder when nudity became common, and why?
   —Oh hey! It's former Dragon Lord Torch. I wonder if he can vouch for this story.
   —The Royal Guard does not seem like much of an organised military trained for handling threats of a national capacity. That is, they are utter crap at defending their country and princesses. I imagine the ages of peace ensured the ancient arts of war that the Royal Legion seemed capable of were laid to rest, and forgotten. And Celestia might have sought to end the need for violence and conflict in the first place. While it hasn't been entirely forgotten, as displayed in the alternate future in which Sombra attacks with an army of servants, it makes sense to me that these times of relative idyll and peace and harmony would result in the decay of warfare.